Aerial railway



July 19 1927.

F. P. ARCHER AERIAL RAILWAY 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS July 19,1927. 1,636,619

F. P. ARCHER AERIAL RAILWAY Filed Feb. 11. 1926 2 Shoots-Shee't z NLQ mma t mm R W l m Patented July 19 1927. V

PATENT OFFICE.

. FLOYD PAUL ARCHER, F WILKES-BARBIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

AERIAL narLwAY'.

Application filed February 11, 1926. Serial No. 87,868.

My present invention relates generally to railways, and more particularly .to aerial railways, and my particular object -1S the provision of a monorail vehicle soficonstructed as to facilitate its use in the VallOlls respects to be hereinafter particularly pointed out-and especially to facilitate its employment in connection with short runs.

My invention proposes a vehicle of this type which may be easily and quickly loaded and unloaded, which may be readily and easily turned in order to reverse its (111E80- tion of movement without the necessity of turn tables and other complications in connection with the vehicle support, and a fur- Y ther and important object of the invention is to provide a vehicle of this nature having in connection therewith means adapted to contribute to its support, aside from the 'rail upon which it runs.

A still further object is the provision of a monorailvehicle-having simple effective means to avoid excessive side sway especially when rounding curves and the like; WVith these general objects, further and more specific objects of the invention as well as resulting advantages thereof will become plain from a careful consideration of the following description, especially with reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which: Y v I Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the practical application of myinvention,

' Figure2 is a top plan view ofwmy. im-

proved vehicle in use,

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectiontaken therethrough, I Figure 4. is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on the lineal-f4 of Figure 3,

F igure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view show-ingin detail one of the end. guide wheels and its supporting structure,

Figure 6 13a fragmentary side view showing in detail the central guide wheeland its supporting connections, and

Figure 7 is still another fragmentary side view showing in detail't-he brake and its operating connections.

- Referring now to these figures, my invention proposes a monorail vehicle whose body or shell 10 is preferably ofthe cylindrical shape shown, tapering to. approximately pointed fore and rear ends through the lattion of the inner platform or floor 16 where the vehicle is used for the transportation of passengers, and this portion which may be raised and lowered with respect to the body of' the vehicle is supported upon a flexible supporting connection 17 extending over guide pulleys 18 within the body and to a drum or winch 19, the latter preferably withilr: the motor compartment 13 and actuated unloa ing portion of the vehicle is to be raised and lowered.

In this way a sufiicient portion of the vehicle may beraised and lowered under control of mechanism within. the vehicle itself to permit of rapidly loading and unloading the vehicle whether it is utilized for the transportation of passengers or commodities. v

The vehicle thus adapted to proceed under its own ower and to be rapidly loaded and unloaded under control of that power, is supported in use from an overhead rail 20 by means of double flanged guide wheels travelling on the rail, there'being a central wheel '21 and eyd wheels 22, each of the latter of which as best seen in Figure 5 is mounted in connection with a supporting and Journal bracket 23having an offset lower portion 24 terminating in an angular exte'nsion25. This extension 25 is apertured for the reception of a locking pin 26 vertically shiftable in an an ular bracket 27 secured to and upstanding rom the body of the, vehicle 10, and this locking pin 26 is shiftable under actuation of its controlling spring 28 not only through the aperture of t e extension 25, but also through the upper portion of the bracket 26. Moreover, the locking pin 26 has a depending flexible connection 29 normally within the vehicle body by means of which it may be lowered andwithdrawn from the extension 25 of the wheel bracket 23 so that the ends of the vehicle body'may be freed in this way from the supporting wheels 22.

the motor 12 when the loading and I The central supporting wheel 21 is on the same and'without adding in any material other hand mounted in a supporting and journal bracket 30 at the upper end of an upright 31 journaled vertically through the center of the vehicle and preferably providedwith pivoted diametrically opposed handles 32 within the vehicle, and with an annular enlargement 33 in a swivel or jour- .nal box 34 against a portion of which the enlargement-33 has a ball or roller bearin 35.

n this way the vehicle may be reversed endwise upon the central upright 31 in connection with the central supporting wheel 21 by first releasing its connections with the end supporting'wheels 22. The operator by then bracing himself within the vehicle and graspin the. handles 32, may gradually swing t evehicle around upon the central upright. '31 until it is turned to proceed theo posite direction whereupon by again comp etingthe connections with the end whgel brackets, the vehicle is ready to procee The several supportin wheels 21 and are a narrow elonate s upport of the vehicle as a whole and relieve in part, its weight from the supporting rail 20 while the vehicle is in movement, this shield 36 which covers and protects the supporting wheels 21 and 22 is also provided at preferably covered 1138 forward and rear portions with laterally and horizontally outstanding aerofoils 37, rigidcwith the hood and either with or without bracing of any suitable type, such as may in practice be found necessary.

Monorail vehicles are subject to certain disadvantages in use, among which may be included their susceptibility of side sway, especially in rounding curves, and in order to avoid this excessive undesirable side sway,

I proposethat the body 10 of the vehicle be provided at diametrically opposite points centrally of its sides with horizontally outstanding brackets 38 in which are journaled horizontal rollers 39, these rollers adapted to contactwith side guide rails 40 disposed at such points in the travel of the vehicle as may in practice he found necessary and especially at curves.

It is obvious from the foregoin that in various respects, as for instance t e shape of its body, the vehicle of my i 'vention is susceptible of considerable var ation and "change from the particular characteristics above described, and shown in the accomsanying drawings, and it is plain that being riven under its own power by means contained within the bod itis susceptible'of ready su port cial y in view of the pro- -visio n o the Eve role with means to assist .in thegfsupport with'out complicating'the j hood 36, and in or er to assist in the res ct to its cost.

t is further obvious that the vehicle as proposed by my invention lends itself readlly to ready manufacture and easy simple installation and that it is furthermore adaptable to the carrying of passengers as well as freight.

Inaddition, to the foregoing, I may provide for checkin the movement of the vehicle and may or this purpose utilize a structure as best shown in Figures 3 and 7, includin 'an upper brake lever 41 pivoted upon a. racket 42 on the vehicle body 10 and having in connection therewith a brake shoe 43 shiftable vertically into and out of -engagement with the supporting rail 20.

This lever 41 is secured at one end to a controlling cable or other connection 44 depending into the body of the vehicle '10 and secured at its lower end to one end of a bell crank 45, the other portion of which bell crank serves as a control lever as indicated at 46, and may be provided with a latch mechanism 47 in engagement with a notched quadrant 48.

I claim e 1. An aerial vehicle of the monorail type having supporting wheels in line thereabove and connected to said vehicle at lengthwise s aced points thereof, and means whereb t 0 vehicle may be endwise reversed wit respect to said so orting wheels.

2. An aerial ve cle of the type described, having supporting wheels in line thereabove including a central wheel and end wheels, a support connecting the vehicle with the central wheel and with respect to which the vehicle is rotatable, and detachable connections between the vehicle and the and wheels per- I mittingendwise reversal of the vehicle with respect to the central wheel.

3. An aerial vehicle, overhead supportin supporting rail, and having laterally outstanding horizontally disposed guide rollers intermediate its ends adapted to engage guide rails in use and-to prevent side sway of the vehicle on its supporting rail.

5. An perial vehicle,'an overhead whleeled sup rt or en a g a supportin rai and frorii which said vi l iicle is sus ende d, a swiveled connection centrall of t e. vehicle with said su port, anddetac able connections between t 0 ends of the vehicle and said sup- FLOYD PAUL ARCHER. 

